Coach K

Now in his 20th season at Duke University, Mike Krzyzewski, known as "Coach K" to basketball fans everywhere, is one of the all-time best coaches in NCAA history.

Krzyzewski was born Feb. 13, 1947 in Chicago, the son of second-generation Polish immigrants. He attened Weber High School, a private Catholic school, and starred on the basketball team as a guard. As a senior, he was a highly recruited prospect, averaging 22 points per game. Despite interest from more prominent basketball schools, Krzyzewski elected to enroll in the Army and play at West Point, whose coaching staff at the time included Bobby Knight.

Krzyzewski played three varsity seasons for Army, which racked up an impressive 51-23 record during his stint on the team. He was named a team captain his senior year, and was also selected as a member of the second team all-NIT, as Army finished fourth in that tournament.

Although his playing days ended in the early 1970s, Krzyzewski's time with the army and with basketball were just beginning. While on tour in Korea, he coached his team there to a title with a nearly perfect record. He then returned to the United States and coached the Army's prep school to an 18-2 record in his one season in charge.

After resigning from the Army, Krzyzewski became a graduate student at Indiana University, where he was also an assistant to his former Army coach, Bobby Knight. Soon afterward, the head coaching position opened up at Army, and Krzyzewski was hired in 1975.

Krzyzewski took over a team that was 3-22 the year before he arrived. In his first season, he upped that mark to 11-14, the next, Army went 20-8.

Krzyzewski stayed at Army until 1980, when he received an offer to coach a team regarded as a college basketball power: the Duke University Blue Devils. Unlike his job at Army, which had been to rebuild a floundering program, Krzyzewski took over a Duke team which was already successful.

"Sometimes you walk into a place and it just feels right for you. That's the type of feeling I had about Duke. I felt I could do a good job at a great school," Krzyzewski said about accepting the Duke coaching job.

The decision to hire him was controversial at the time, but he was quick to end the controversy, leading the blue Devils to one tournament after another and recruiting some of the top players in the country. Duke had been a good team before Krzyzewski arrived; now they became a powerhouse.

Perhaps Coach K's most impressive statistic is his graduation rate: 93%. Kryzewski recruits scholar-atheletes who have a commitment to the Duke program, rather than players who think of college hoops as merely a springboard to pro basketball. He has coached NBA stars such as Danny Ferry, Grant Hill, and Christian Laettner, and all three played four years for the Blue Devils before turning pro.

He appreciates the Cameron Crazies, often calling them the best basketball fans in the country. The Crazies, for their part, can sometimes be seen bowing to Kryzewski in a show of hero-worship as he is introduced before a game.

Kryzewski has a wife, Mickie, and three daughters, Lindy, Debbie, and Jaime. He recently signed a long-term contract with Duke University, ensuring his position as head coach well into the 21st century.

Coach K's Accomplishments:

6 ACC championships